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Jerod Mayo on Drake Maye, the NFL trade deadline, and Patriots’ thought process on 2-point conversions
"The trade deadline, it's a bunch of hype."
A day after the Patriots’ overtime defeat to the Titans in Tennessee on Sunday, New England head coach Jerod Mayo reiterated some of his postgame comments from the previous day, especially his praise of rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
“I’m excited for him,” Mayo said of New England’s 2024 first-round pick during his Monday morning media availability. “I’m excited for a lot of our young guys. I would say just as a group, those guys have to just continue to go through the ups and downs together, and hopefully it builds resilience amongst the team. But in regard to Drake, I’m excited to see his continued growth.”
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Maye orchestrated a last-second touchdown to tie the score and send the game to overtime. His lengthy scramble and off-balance throw to get the ball to teammate Rhamondre Stevenson sent a jolt of excitement through New England’s fanbase.
Still, the Patriots fell short in the end, with Maye’s interception sealing a 20-17 win for Tennessee.
“Going into overtime, I felt good about our chances,” Mayo told WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” in his second media appearance on Monday. “Just didn’t pull it out.”
One of the interesting decisions in the game arrived after Maye’s heroics at the end of regulation. New England had a choice: Attempt to kick the extra point and tie the game (sending it to overtime), or try to go for the two-point conversion (and the win).
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Mayo and the Patriots’ brain-trust opted for the more conservative route: Kicking the extra point and heading for overtime. Granted, the Patriots ultimately lost the game.
So, in retrospect, does Mayo think his team should have gone for it and tried to win in dramatic circumstances?
“Going back and watching the film, and just seeing plays that were left on the field, I always say it’s not always just one play,” Mayo noted in the opening statement of his press conference. “Everyone’s going to be stuck on the interception at the end of the game, or to go for it on two, or not to go for it on two, those are definitely those hindsight things I often times think about.”
Mayo was asked a follow-up question by NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran about why he might view something differently after the fact.
“Because we lost the game,” Mayo replied. “It’s that simple: because we lost the game. You go back earlier in the season, we went for two. We didn’t get it. You get criticized, and then you kick the field goal here, and you get criticized. So I’m always going to do what I think is best for the team. I think we can talk about analytics and all those things, which we do use those things. At the same time, there’s also a flow to the game. As a head coach, ultimately, the decision and the consequence lays on me.”
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During the radio interview, Mayo was also asked about the details behind the Patriots’ decision-making in that circumstance.
“We always stay ahead of the game, and that conversation happened long before the 12-second play,” Mayo said of the two-point conversion possibility. “Again, I thought that was the best thing to do for our team. And honestly, either way, unless you execute the play, you’ll be criticized. We [went] for two and we don’t get it a couple games ago, and this time we kicked the extra point. I felt good. I felt like that was the right thing to do. So it’s not like I’m stuck either way. It’s a combination of things that go into that decision.”
Now 2-7, the Patriots appear to be pretty far removed from any hope of a playoff run in 2024.
The NFL trade deadline is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. ET. The Patriots have already dealt pass rushers Matthew Judon and Josh Uche for future draft picks.
Still, does Mayo anticipate additional major moves being made?
“I think first, this isn’t baseball. In baseball you have big-name players going to other teams,” Mayo told WEEI. “I would say, historically, even as a player and now as a coach, the trade deadline is a bunch of hype.
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“Who’s going to move a starting quarterback to another team right now? Who’s going to move a starting left tackle? I mean it rarely happens.”
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